No. 4 Virginia Takes Season Opener 8-0 Over Richmond
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 4 Virginia women’s soccer team got braces from forwards Haley Hopkins and Diana Ordoñez on the way to an 8-0 victory over Richmond (0-1) at Klöckner Stadium on Thursday night.
In all, five different players scored for the Cavaliers, while six different players contributed assists.
The Hoos got on the board quickly with Rebecca Jarrett delivering a strike from 18 yards out across the face of the goal and in past the far post in the third minute of play.
Virginia would strike two more times in the half to take the lead out to 3-0 at the break. Hopkins scored the second goal of the night with a header in the 22nd minute, striking true off a service into the box from the right wing by Jarrett. The third goal came from Diana Ordoñez in the 27th minute, this one one-touch shot with the left foot off a ball played through the box from the left wing by Lia Godfrey.
The Cavaliers continued to build on the lead in the second half, notching three more goals in the first 10 minutes of the period to take the lead out to 6-0.
Samar Guidry scored the first goal of the second half, dribbling through the defense along the top of the box before firing a shot in for the 4-0 lead at the 49 minute mark.
Claire Constant redirected an Alexa Spaanstra pass near the penalty mark for Virginia’s fifth goal of the night, striking true in the 53rd minute, before Hopkins would add her second goal with a header off a service from Laney Rouse in the 55th minute.
Ordoñez notched her brace with a goal in the 63rd minute, collecting a pass from Cam Lexow in the box before turning and striking from 15 yards out. The goal put Virginia on top of Richmond 7-0. Lexow then capped the scoring with a goal in the 74th minute for the 8-0 victory.
NOTES ON THE GAME
• Samar Guidry and Haley Hopkins both scored their first goals in a Virginia uniform.
• With the win, Virginia improves to 12-1-1 all-time against Richmond and 9-1-1 at Klöckner Stadium.
• The eight goals is the most scored in a game by UVA since an 8-1 win over William & Mary (9/12/19).
• The shutout streak continued a stretch of five straight clean sheets dating back to last season.
• Virginia has not conceded a goal in 549:35 – the eighth longest streak in program history.
FROM HEAD COACH STEVE SWANSON
“It was a good result and a good performance. We were pretty consistent in both halves. Some of the things we have been working on in preseason you could see come out today – more so than at any other time. The team was excited to get out and play in front of some fans. It was a great crowd and a good atmosphere. We missed that year. It feels like a sense of normalcy is back and that was good.”
UP NEXT FOR THE HOOS
Virginia will head out on the road to face No. 12 West Virginia on Sunday (Aug. 22). Kick in that match is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast by Big XII Now on ESPN+.